SOCIALLY R£SP6NS‘IVE FINANCIAL SERVICES SlNC£ 1985 %/'ie 9/new <:+'lmt Clllanc/wstew, Cl/wnorw 362-4484 www.villagefloristvt.com Laurie S. Rosenzweig - Attorney at Law / L.-_R P.O. Box 1455 Rutland, Vermont 05701 Phone & Fax: 802-786-2251 Real Estate Law, Wills, Family & Civil Union Issues General Practice Free initial consultations Sabu234@AOL.COM 8 Feminist Therapy ' Leah Wittenberg Licensed Mental Health Counselor Psychotherapy for individuals and couples 82 Church St., Burlington _ _ (802)658-9590 ext.4 sliding fee scale COUNSELING CENTER 01-‘ NORTHERN VERMONT PSYCHOTHERAPY FOR lNDIVIDllALS, COUPLES, Futures 0 Coming Out -I Family Issum 0 Sexual Identity 0 Life Transitions Bill McBroom ucsw 802.229.5220 Lynn Goyette LCMHC 802.860.6360 BURLINGTON MONTPELIER ‘~S."x‘$ . w \ §;1§ is-. '=® \~> &‘\\ No Help For Homeless Youth ould your support of HRC actually be harmful to homeless LGBT youth? With HRC’s October 16th announcement that it has begun the public phase of a capi- tal campaign for its new $25 million headquarters, and as HRC solicits new_ members and continued support with direct mail this Autumn and pre—holi- day season, I believe the moment apt to ask this and other hard questions. From the outset let me acknowledge HRC’s valuable _ efforts on behalf of the LGBT ‘ community. In a number of instances and on some key fronts, HRC has worked effec- tively to help secure our rights and promote our interests. Yet it is the vital work HRC is not doing — on behalf of our home- less LGBT youth — to which I must invite the attention of com- munity members, particularly those who are weighing mem- bership in or support of HRC. Not its beneficiaries,‘ HRC’s success probably offers little comfort to those of our youths who have been forced from their homes or who have had to flee abuse because of their lesbian, gay, bisexual or’ transgender identities. For them the street — dangerous and ' destructive — all too often becomes home. Though I cannot present a precise number, vari- ous studies estimate that LGBT youth comprise at least 20 to 40 percent of homeless youth. When you consider the enor- ' mous number of runaway and homeless youths living on the street — 1.3 million according to the National Runaway Switchboard — the crisis becomes apparent. Sadly, their struggle only begins when they hit the street. Since many youth, run- away and homeless services are unwelcoming and often danger- ous places for them, and since LGBT-friendly alternatives remain largely unavailable, many homeless LGBT youth turn to prostitution for survival, and to drugs and alcohol for escape. HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases, violence, hopelessness and sui- cide ultimately destroy many lives. Does HRC have suffi- cient resources, influence and position to provide the leader- ship needed to help alleviate this crisis? Your answer may lie only a few clicks away on the organi- zation’s website, where HRC: reports securing $20 million toward the purchase and renova- tion of the new headquarters; reports raising, in combination with HRC Foundation, almost $19 million during the fiscal year ending March 31, 2001; claims more than 450,000 mem- bers; and touts its position as “America’s largest gay and les- bian organization,” and its role as “a national voice on gay and lesbian issues.” All HRC appears to lack in its ability to address this crisis is the will. As the biggest gay . rights organization it stands to reason that HRC’s efforts can have a disproportionately posi- tive impact. Conversely, by its silence and inaction on an issue, HRC can effectively doom any meaningful advancement. Such HRC’s attention and largesse? Since its inception three years ago, HRC’s Equality Fund Grant program has also been a bust for homeless LGBT youth. Ofthe fifty one grants totaling more than $236,000 awarded in fiscal years 2001 and 2002, not one has been expressly for their benefit. This fiscal year looks equally bleak — grants made thus far apparently snub them as well. There are a handful of providers around the nation serv- ing homeless LGBT youth — they do vital, life-saving work — and others are desperately need- ed. Regrettably, service providers are, for the most part, lefi to do as best they can at the local level with a crisis of national scale. Homeless LGBT youth clearly need a powerful advocate at the national level working vigorously to develop, in conjunction with those already in the field, a national strategy for addressing this crisis; and to engage" Congress, government It is the vital work HRC is not doing - on behalf of our homeless LGBT youth — to which I must invite the attention has been the case where our homeless youth are concerned. How many of the more than 90 news releases and action alerts issued by the organization over the past year and posted on its website regard homeless LGBT youth explicitly? You guessed it, none. _ HRC has been vocal about a host of other matters though, including: marriage rights, Sept. llth benefits, politi- cal endorsements, LGBT rights laws and anti-gay ballot initia- tives, among others. HRC also lists HIV/AIDS, workplace equality, hate legislation, protect- ing LGBT families and lesbian health as the organization’s “focus issues.” As you might imagine, HRC spent consider- able sums working to advance these issues. Isn’t the crisis of homelessness among LGBT youth at least equally worthy of of community members. officials, foundations, youth and homeless services providers, the media, the public and our com- munity in the ensuing effort. Can you imagine the possibilities for our homeless youth if HRC stepped up to the plate? You might then consider making your membership and/or support conditioned upon how satisfactorily HRC does just that ' — and informing HRC of your” intentions. Because if our lead- ing national advocacy organiza- tion continues to say little and do less for these kids, isn’t it rea- sonable to suppose that your continued and knowing support could enable that neglect and, thereby, do harm‘? v Glenn LeCarl lives with his life- partner in Tallahassee, Florida. He welcomes comments at glen- nalecarl@aol. com